Rebuild inside these four walls

By: Sherrie Williams
After years of neglect and deterioration, work started this week on revitalizing the historic Old Famous building downtown at 121 West Cash.

The building will under go major renovations from demolition of the roof and interior walls to a new concrete floor, framing, wiring and plumbing to bring the dilapidated building to code, according to owner Chad Witherspoon.

The new life that will take place in the old building will be a full service laundry mat, named The Famous Laundromat. Named after The Famous Department Store, many long time residents recall occupying that building for years.

Witherspoon says he likes taking on projects that most others don’t care about, such as building homes in Garden Valley in the $90,000 dollar range.

“Some of the business people in Iowa Park would like to see the original part of Iowa Park revitalized,” Weatherspoon said.

He is also proud the busin ess will provide a service to the citizens of Iowa Park not currently offered here.

The business will include all front load washers and large dryers for self service. The Famous Laundromat will offer drop off wash and fold service.

“I will provide a service to the citizens so they don’t have to drive to Wichita Falls to wash clothes and other things that can’t be washed in small residential washers. Also, if their time is better spent doing something else, they can drop off their clothes for wash and fold service and pick them up at the end of the day,” said Witherspoon.

The new business will create at least two new jobs and maybe four.

Witherspoon’s goal is to have the Famous open in three to four months.

“It has been a vision of mine to restore one of these old buildings,” Witherspoon said as he explained why he bought the building. “I do a lot of new construction, I wanted to take something that was not new and restore it.”

Witherspoon feels the city is moving in the right direction with improvements such as the new pool and spray park and this is one more step that provides a service the residents need and will use.